Bursts of Color Fade to Gray
by Midsummer Afterglow
Summary: Is love truly the most powerful of all forces? Can it break even the strongest of barriers? Hinata used to believe so, but that was before her world of color shattered into a million gray pieces. Story includes other characters from Naruto. [Story on Hiatus]
1. Chapter 1

**Midsummer Afterglow: **Hello again everyone! Welcome to a new HinataxNeji FanFiction. During my last two weeks of school, I have very little time to write but I have managed to take some breaks to satisfy my urges to write again. Anyway, I happened to come up with a new story line for our favorite couple and I just want to start posting it and test the waters with it...If this fic does not end up doing so well or if I just somehow end up at a road block somewhere down the line with it, then it will be deleted, but most likely I will do everything to make sure this doesn't happen.

The style of this story will be very different from anything I have ever written. Due to the plot, each chapter will be short and written in small increments. Basically every chapter will showcase a certain scene or event occurring within the story...With every scene the story will grow and begin to make sense, until of course, it reaches its end.

I am writing this story in both third and first person points of view. As for the characters, for the moment only characters from the Hyuga clan have roles in this story but as it goes on that may change if necessary. I don't have any original characters planned out for this yet but I may use one or two characters from the story _For Always_, since I really don't want to create a bunch of new and unfamiliar characters if I need them.

I am certainly going to continue with _For Always_ and that story will be my main focus but this one will be written alongside it so that my readers will have something to enjoy in between updates. ^_^

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

**.~~~.**

He wasn't the first to lay eyes on her, but he was the first to touch her heart. Like a sharp edged blade he had sliced through layer upon layer of the thick wall that surrounded her. She had never before witnessed such passionate determination. The magnificence of this man was all too overpowering.

* * *

_How could she refuse him anything after he had so eloquently pressed his full lips gently against her smaller ones?_

The thrills his kiss sent through her untouched body made her shiver. The anticipation built up inside her as she waited for him to make his move.

Shoving her back against the wall, he pinned her arms above her head and teasingly trailed butterfly kisses across her bare shoulder.

Breathing heavily against the fabric of his shirt, she trembled. His tongue slithered across her neck, then down to the valley between her bare breasts.

_When had the buttons on her shirt come undone?_

Her wrists swelled inside his strong grip. The feel of his hot tongue sliding against her pale skin had her legs growing weak.

She was aching in each one of her intimate places. Her voice was coming out in rough, half formed tones.

When she could no longer bare to stand straight, her knees buckled beneath her, and she slid down to the floor with him. Never did he cease his sensual ministrations.

Losing herself to pleasure, she willingly succumbed to his control, as his lustful venture down her body continued.

* * *

A soft tapping against the bathroom door caught her attention. Looking down into the sink, she quickly turned the faucet on and watched silently as the cold water washed away the remains of the green peppermint toothpaste.

She hated brushing his taste out of her mouth every morning, but just like the draining toothpaste, the night they had spent together would need to be erased. They could only keep meeting like this as long as no traces remained of their time together.

The problem was that they had never meant to fall in love; it just happened. Regardless of what the family believed, Hinata was no longer complying with their wishes. This relationship, no matter how beautiful it was, would never be accepted.

She knew this. She knew this very well; and yet, the harder she tried to avoid Neji, the more her entire being craved his attentions. Whenever they were in the same room, a longing fell over them. He was always so acutely aware of her presence, just as she was of his.

They had to be careful though. On slip up, one single lingering glance, could give them instantly away and then, Hinata knew exactly what would happen to Neji and her. In fact, she dreaded the thought of what would happen, if they gave themselves away, so much so, that she had begged Neji to stay away from her.

All she had received for her pleading was a daring smirk and a soft feathery kiss upon her lips; and once again, she was swept away into a river of bottled up emotions that had spontaneously broken free.

* * *

**A/N: **Well here it goes then...From here on out, this story shall slowly take form.

I hope this story will receive support from my readers. I love you all and wish me luck with my last two weeks of senior year! ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

**Midsummer Afterglow: **Hey everyone! Thanks for subscribing to this story and for the comments! I hope you enjoy this next update. Oh and since I did not mention it, the first couple chapters will be from Hinata's POV and then switch to Neji's.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

The bustle of people going in and out of the tall building was nothing short of the normal scenery which could be viewed anytime one made their way to the great Hyuga Corporation. Daunting as it was, not a single person seemed to be afraid to enter the Hyuga's mighty tower.

Hinata knew better. Releasing a long breath, she brushed the front of her beige skirt with two hands, hoping to smooth away the wrinkles she had been unable to iron out in her rush to get ready. She always tried to improve her appearance as much as possible, but no matter how hard she tried, her lack of fashion seemed to belittle her efforts.

She could hardly help this though. Her tastes were simpler than others and no amount of money was about to change that. A decent length skirt, white button up blouse, and a pair of white heels was the best she could put together for her scheduled meeting with her father. And besides for the pair of flat, sliver stud earrings adorning her ears, Hinata's hands, arms, and neck were devoid of jewelry.

Upon entering her father's domain, Hinata made her way past the crowd of citizens lingering about. Making her way to the first floor elevator, Hinata forcefully drowned out the noise of everyone around her, by concentrating on the echo her heels made as she strode across the marble floor.

Many floors meant many buttons to choose from as one stepped casually into the elevator. As a group of suited men and women were waiting on her, Hinata quickly pushed the only button that seemed to have not been touched. The moment her fingers came into contact with the 9th floor button, the round circle lit up and as Hinata stepped back into the rising box, she silently settled on standing beside an older gentleman with gray hair and unusually bright blue eyes.

The tight space made her feel overly claustrophobic and her every instinct urged her to close in on herself. Luckily, before she could, a loud _ding_ sounded and the people beside her began exiting the elevator the moment the electric doors slid open.

* * *

"You wished to see me?" Hinata inquired carefully, unsure of the reason behind her father's urgency to meet with her.

Across the large space, an older man, with long dark hair and bold colorless eyes, sat in an office chair made from the finest leather. It had been a while since Hinata had seen this particular chair. Back when she was still a little girl, her father had allowed her to swivel every which way in his chair while he left her to spend hours in business meetings, expecting her to find a way to amuse herself without his help.

Hinata mentally recalled the younger appearance her father had sported back then and as she did so a knowing smile creased her lips. How time did fly when a simple tower office was larger than the world to one so young.

"Yes; there is a matter I wish to discuss with you Hinata," Her father told her, as simply as if he was remarking on the weather or the time of day.

In any other young woman's circumstances, a meeting with her father might entail some conversation pertaining to the family business, but for Hinata, this was not the case. The discussion about to ensue was very much related to issues she would rather not delve into.

But with Hiashi, she would not be given a choice.

"Are you thinking of sending me to study abroad?" Hinata asked, desperately hoping this wasn't so. She was not prepared to leave Neji so soon.

"I am. Do you believe you will be ready to depart in three week's time?"

And just like that, her dreams were dashed and any and all hope completely discarded.

"I will go whenever you think is best."

Hinata searched her father's eyes for some parental emotions but there were none to be found. This entire meeting was to be held from one adult to another. How ironic it was that a father could meet with his eldest daughter and then treat as if she was any other stranger begging him for chance to prove herself.

Which most pathetically, in her heart, she was.

* * *

**A/N: **To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

**Midsummer Afterglow: **Hey guys! Here is a quick morning update. I have to get back to working on Economics. :( Wish me luck! Enjoy!_  
_

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

A sound from the kitchen sink resounded over and over in my ears. I looked up from my laptop screen and over my shoulder, from my seat at the table, at Neji, who at the moment was thoughtfully sorting through a pile of our favorite movies.

"How long have you had that leak?" I asked him curiously. To be frank, the constant noise was eating away at my nerves.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Looking up from his work, Neji locked eyes with me and stared at me with his eyebrows raised in question.

"About a week now; why?"

I turned back to my laptop, avoiding his gaze. _Had it already been an entire week since I'd been here?_

Usually Neji would come to my place, but lately, my father had taken to entertaining his business acquaintances at our home and with so many strangers frequenting it, it just wasn't safe for us.

It was a tad bit unnerving that my twisted mind found the idea of being intimate with Neji, while people were dangerously close, exciting. Somehow the rush of that entire scenario began to play in my head without warning, and a generous heat rose into my cheeks, turning them a shade of rose pink.

I was glad Neji was unaware of how ridiculously close I was to mentally stripping him of all his dignity.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

"I was just thinking that we should get out tonight. I'd hate to have to listen to your leaky sink all night," I told him honestly.

* * *

Resting her head on his shoulder, Hinata noticed that Neji's every intake of breath was subtly stronger than the one before it. That routine rhythm soothed her. Making an effort, she began to breathe along with Neji, wishing for nothing more but to be one with him in every possible way.

A cold wind buffeted the trees surrounding them. It wasn't the most peaceful of evenings but nonetheless Hinata found herself solely focused on the man beside her.

There were scant amount of times that she had a chance to really observe Neji. Back when they first began to take a mutual interest in one another, things had moved from one step to the next so quickly that before she knew it, the two of them were spending more time pleasuring each other physically than really connecting on a mental or emotional level.

Hinata wondered what it was she loved about Neji. No, _love_ was perhaps the wrong word. There were things she _admired_ about Neji and then things she might have wished to change if she had any control over them; but the one definite aspect of Neji, which to this day continued to draw her in mercilessly, was the fact that he was hopelessly devoted.

Hardly any men were these days; an image of her father came to mind.

A soft giggle escaped her lips as Hinata mused over the idea of comparing Neji's faithfulness to that of a dog's. But, in so many ways, that comparison alone was deeply touching.

Hinata had never been allowed to have a dog but she had known people who were and although she did not experience it first hand, she could easily tell that the bond between a dog and its owner radiated unconditional love.

Humans were unpredictable but animals, they lived by following their instincts and isn't that practice similar to say, following one's heart?

* * *

**A/N: **To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

**Midsummer Afterglow: **Hello dearest readers! Here is the fourth update for this story. I'm sad it really isn't getting a great response here on FF but I will still continue it for myself because I am really enjoying writing this. Hopefully more people will read it soon and enjoy it as well? ^_^

Today marks my official final week of school! Woohoo! I have to take one final everyday and today I have to take an economics final so wish me luck guys! I love each and every one of you and thanks for those who take the time to review. This chapter is dedicated to you!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

I woke up to find an unmarked envelope upon the nightstand next to my bed. Without even opening it, I knew what the contents of the letter would be. It was just like my father to deliver his orders bluntly.

It occurred to me, as I shuffled out of bed then, that I might have liked it better if he had at least taken the time to address the envelope to me properly with my name. But then again, that just wouldn't fit my father's curt style.

Stepping into a pair of blue plush slippers, I raised my arms above my head and stretched my dormant muscles. Then, right after, I cocked my head to one side, producing a faint crack. Mornings really are the worst when I wake up alone.

Trudging to the washroom, I exhaled a soft yawn and brought one hand up to my forehead. It was warm; a bit too warm. Staying out all night in the cold had not been the wisest thing I'd done but then again, whenever I was with Neji, there was not a single thing we did which had been entirely thought out beforehand.

After finishing my morning routine, I made my way back to my bed. Taking a seat upon the feather bed blanket, which had been scrunched up into a tight ball over night, I reached for the blank envelope over on my night stand.

A heavy weight settled in my chest as I pried the letter's seal open. I had not yet said a word to Neji about my departure. There just had not been a proper chance to relay such important news to him. At the moment, the relationship I shared with Neji was fragile and the amount of pressure we received, from constantly keeping hidden, kept leaving me with discouraging thoughts.

I had no idea how long I might be able to continue in a relationship with Neji. He was closer to me than any other man could ever be, but the painful truth remained; Neji could never be anything more to me than my cousin. I could no longer look at him as a man worthy of my affections.

Every gentle touch, every precious kiss, every ounce of love which filled my heart whenever I was with Neji, would disappear forever; and I suppose what hurt me the most was the fact that I had never before gone against my father's wishes, but with Neji I had.

Staring down at the paper thin document, I shivered. In one hand, I held my one way ticket to a future without Neji and in the other, I held nothing at all. There really was only one road to travel and without even realizing it, I had already headed down it.

* * *

Hinata felt her lips burning against his as Neji slowly pushed his mouth onto hers. She had kissed Neji countless times, but tonight the kiss was different; tonight, he was different. Perhaps because he had not touched her in two weeks, his pent up energy was being suddenly released in waves of urgency; but oddly enough, Hinata had assessed that there was more to it than that.

Grasping onto Neji's firm shoulders, Hinata's entire frame shook the moment she felt his hands sliding up along the inside of her bare thighs. Neji was strikingly prolonging her agony. The more she moaned into his mouth, the more he teased her by drawing his hands back down her legs.

Deep inside her chest, her heart was doing flip flops. Tonight was their last night together and Neji was completely unaware of this. There was only so much Hinata could do to keep from breaking down in the middle of their lovemaking. It hardly seemed possible to do so but even with her flesh on fire, she was very conscious of the fact that this one night with Neji would be the final act in their romantic play.

A jolt of pleasure coursed through her body as Neji's slick tongue twirled effortlessly around one of her exposed breasts. Gasping, Hinata felt the muscles in her stomach contract as she wrapped both her legs around his waist. When Neji pushed his tongue over her now hardened nipple and went as far as to close his mouth around it, Hinata arched her back and buried her hands into his silky chocolate colored hair.

There was so much pleasure to be found in even the simplest of Neji's expert ministrations. Hinata felt the world melting around her as Neji fondled her other breast, all the while keeping his mouth trained on the other; her concerns for their future together were slowly fading into the back of her mind.

Unable to bear the pain of having nothing to keep her own mouth occupied, Hinata gracefully maneuvered her body closer to Neji's. As she did so, he instantly looked up for a split second and the moment Hinata saw the way his pupils were unknowingly dilated, she wrapped both arms around his neck and crashed her tingling lips onto his own. As they both hungrily ate away their worries, Hinata bit down on Neji's bottom lip, asking for entrance into the cavern of his mouth. When he parted his swollen lips, she shoved her tongue inside.

The very unique, but familiar, taste which closed in around her tongue, drove Hinata's senses mad. Neji too seemed to be stopped by the intensity of this exceptionally deep kiss. His arms found their way around her thin waist and as their tongues met, to determine who, of the two of them was the more dominant, Hinata mentally wondered how it was possible for them to suddenly become more engrossed in a kiss than in the closeness of their tightly pressed bodies.

From one moment to the next, the night was becoming less about intercourse but rather, more about those simpler pleasures which all but scrapped the mind of any coherent thoughts. Hinata could feel Neji's hips pushing against her own as they kissed and the more her womanhood ached for him, the more she became intent on making this stream of kisses last as long as possible.

Before leaving, there was only one thing she wanted to take away with her, and that was the feel of Neji's irresistible lips greedily taking possession of her own.

* * *

**A/N: **To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

**Midsummer Afterglow: **Hello guys! This updates signals a switch in POV. For the next few chapters, the story will be seen from Neji's point of view, so I hope you all enjoy it. Most of this story has a lot to do with these beginning chapters so do pay close attention to words and thoughts both Neji and Hina express regarding the different aspects of there lives. Other than this note, do enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

"_So is this what it's like to love?"_ Neji thought to himself sarcastically, while watching the pre paid movie with an indifferent expression on his face.

So many times he had wondered why it was that people were so bound on going through life with someone by their sides, as if it was absolutely necessary to do so. Were people that afraid of being alone? Was it honestly all that difficult for a person to spend their life without giving away the very heart that sustained their entire being?

He used to wonder how people could come to know that what they were feeling was the emotion known as love. After all, he would hear people use the same word in such a casual context all the time, that it boggled his mind, when suddenly they were attaching it to some man or woman who had conquered them, 'body and soul'.

_LOVE._

The word alone held no special meaning. No matter how many times he repeated it over and over in his mind, not a single reaction occurred within him. Perhaps he was just one of the few who would not be affected by its deadly poison.

This thought made his lips twitch. If he could avoid being in a serious relationship then he was certainly hoping to do just that. Reaffirming his decision to live the life of a bachelor, Neji leaned over the girl beside him, in his bed, and reached for the remote control. As he settled back onto his side of the old mattress, the girl softly mumbled something incoherent in her sleep.

He didn't quit catch what it was she had said but the sight of her parted lips made him chuckle. There were so many beautiful women in the world, so many gorgeous faces, and yet, he had chosen to give the time of day to one who, on a scale from one to ten, happened to fall right in with the seven's.

Seven wasn't all that bad; In fact, he would praise her just for the fact that she had managed to catch his attention without even intending to do so.

Switching off the television, Neji turned on his side to face the petite girl and gently laid a hand upon her brow. Her forehead was still warmer than it ought to be. She should not have insisted that they go out, but then again, after spending most of her time cooped up inside her own home, it was no wonder she had silently begged him to show her a world of freedom.

And so, just when the sweet blue bird thought it would never fly again, he had released it from its cage; and for the first time in his life, he had been privileged enough to witness another being spread their wings ever so beautifully. And the lovely blue bird had done so, all because of him.

* * *

**A/N: **To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

**Midsummer Afterglow: **Hello again everyone! ^.^ I passed my English Final yesterday and I have an A in the class! *throws confetti* I really want to thank each of you have reviewed this story so far. Every review brings a smile to my face and urges me forward to keep writing. Getting to hear from my readers despite how stressed I have been lately, with constant studying and lack of sleep, feels really good; almost like an escape from all the stuff going on right now. But anyway good news is that work on _For Always _will officially resume this Friday/Saturday! Please anticipate the new chapter that is up and coming!

Thanks for all the support guys! I deeply appreciate it!

Also, regarding this story, I did not really realize this till now but I should have been dating each of the last chapters, including this one, but I've decided not to start dating them until part II of the story. Basically everything you have read so far has all been part I of the story. I will let you know which chapter begins part two. And as for the dates, everything that has happened so far has been in late summer/ early autumn. Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

In his dream he was running; faster, and faster; farther and farther. The muscles in his legs were beginning to ache. The more his speed increased, the more the pain affected him. What is was he was running towards, he could never puzzle out; but the way in which his legs continued to powerfully carry him against the wind, made it disturbingly obvious that he was determined to run until his body could no longer do so.

This bothered him immensely and yet, every night when he found himself back inside this dream, he wished for it to last longer. He desperately wanted to discover what reason lay behind the effort he was displaying. Odd sensations would course through his being as he ran. It was as if, something, like a magnet, were pulling him forward. Every accelerated step brought him closer to where his dreams-self wanted to be.

And then, just as quickly as the dream had begun, it ended, and he was awoken by the sounds of his leaky faucet in the kitchen.

_Drip. Drip. Drip. _

This was the way his far too early mornings began ever since the damn sink decided to spring a leak. The constant sound of every droplet hitting the metal bowl resounded over and over again in his ears. He had planned to fix it, but recently work was consuming every free moment of his time. After hours of routinely dealing with the partners at the company, he could do nothing more than succumb to the depths of sleep the moment he returned home.

These days, whenever he felt too lethargic to do anything but stay in bed, he blamed it on his stress cycle. There were two phases: the build-up, where the stress would subtly begin to seep into him, and the crash, when the stress reached its boiling point and began to break him down.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

The one thing in his life that continued to give him any motivation to keep living in the monotonous world, he was stuck in, was Hinata. Technically, she did not belong to him, but the more time he spent with her, the more possessive he found himself becoming towards her. Anything which concerned her made an impact on his life. He wanted to be her support, in the same way she was his; but Hinata would have none of it.

No matter how he consoled her, she always seemed to be at odds with him. All this and more he had noticed and yet, the other night, when she had clung to him as if he was her sole lifeline, Neji questioned whether or not his first assessment of her feelings had been correct. He was so used to jumping to conclusions, but that was one aspect of himself he was doing his best to change.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

That damn faucet! If only the fucking sound would stop! Over and over like a never-ending song. Neji brought both hands to his temples and groaned. His head was spinning violently. As if to purposely be in tune with the constant drip, the pounding in his head echoed back its own set of notes, relentlessly gnawing at his brain.

Run. He needed to run; to get out; to move his legs. Run.

_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

Slamming his fists onto the bed, Neji sat up. His entire body was craving any sort of release he was willing to give it. If only to escape the grueling sound of the leak, he forced himself up and onto his feet. The homely feel of the plush carpet beneath him, put his mind slightly at ease. Even work was a better place to be than his hell hole of an apartment. The place was always so stuffy; he might as well have been sleeping in old dusty attic. In fact, he may have possibly been able to sleep better if he had managed to find himself a decent studio rather than his one bedroom + bath apartment. In all honesty, the rent he paid just to reside in the little shit-hole was astronomical!

Neji needed to start looking for a new place, and soon. There was only so much he could stand and patience was never something he had been particularly good at. Virtue or not, the whole damn prospect was too fucking ridiculous to take seriously. The way the world was running itself, it was truly rare to find anyone who was entirely patient. If he ever came across such a person, he would definitely need to give them a pat on the back for outstanding effort and achievement.

_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

"_Run!"_ His mind screamed urgently, and Neji felt his body complying. Moving towards his closet, he grabbed a plain T-shirt and a pair of training shorts. He would go for a long morning jog and hopefully, by the time he returned, he would be strong enough to resist demolishing his entire kitchen sink.

* * *

**A/N: **To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

**Midsummer Afterglow: **Guys! I can hardly contain my happiness! I've passed each one of my finals so far and I have three A's! Today I take my last final and complete my senior year! I am really excited to finish and get back to doing what I do best, write. ^_^

Anyway, here is the next update for this story. The next couple updates are being worked on but may not be published as fast as usual due to the fact that on Friday, I will officially resume working on _For Always__. _Thanks so much for supporting me! Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**_  
_

* * *

The weather did not prove to cool his heated body the way he imagined it would. A couple days back, there had been high winds and even periods of extreme cold, but as he stood beneath the canopy of trees, Neji gazed up and noticed that every leaf was suspended perfectly, and from what he could see from so far down, each arm of foliage remained unmoving. He had at the very least expected there to have been a slight breeze, but it seemed that Mother Nature was doing her best to keep the wind from waking her darling trees.

It was an odd feeling, being out so early on a weekend. The rest of the world was still sleeping and all around him, it was silent. Even the birds were withholding their early morning songs. Neji could not remember the last time he had set foot on this biker trail but from what he could recollect of its winding path, the entire thing would lead him straight up into the foothills. If he kept a steady pace, he would most likely reach the top in forty five minutes.

Bending down to touch his toes, Neji convinced himself that his urge to bolt right up the rest of the trail was a foolish idea. Despite for realizing that his muscles had reverted to being rather unbalanced and out of shape, Neji was still able to muse over the fact that he had reached the halfway point in just about under thirty minutes. Not that this timing was any sort of record, but for being the kind of guy who shied away from having his work out's monitored, Neji found that if he were to compete in say any physical competitions, he would have a pretty damn good chance of out-beating most if not all of his opponents.

Pausing in his stretching, Neji noticed that he was staring straight at the ground, and had been for a while now. The tiny gray and white pebbles, which were scattered randomly about, stood out clearly against the light brown dirt path. Crouching down to their level, Neji reached out to scoop up a handful of rock and sand. The texture was rough and a bit uncomfortable to hold without wanting to release it immediately, but Neji found that grasping onto the bit of dirt in his hand was somewhat soothing.

So many people had tread on this same pathway and each one had surely had some legitimate reason for making their way to the top. Neji hardly ever felt discouraged by anything when it came to physical activities and due to the fact that he had little confidence in anything else, he felt it necessary to invest some in his physical abilities.

Smirking to himself, Neji lifted his head to take one final look at the crown of trees above him and then, squeezing his hand around the sand inside of it, stood up abruptly and took the first steps towards his intended destination.

* * *

My body decided to ache uncontrollably tonight; and just when I supposed that things couldn't get much worse, Hinata had chosen to ignore each on my pathetically desperate phone calls.

I can't very well understand why Hinata has been distancing herself from me, and no matter how hard I try to convince myself not to jump to any conclusions, until I can speak with her properly, I find that my mind is doing so regardless. It's very uncharacteristic of me to be missing Hinata like this, but honestly, the lower half of my body is reacting unintentionally every time I speak her name in my mind.

That last night we spent together was truly…entirely…indefinitely …magical.

_Damn, I really could use a drink. _

Pushing myself up from the couch, in my all too small living room, I move over to the bottom cupboard, in the kitchen, where I usually keep my set of emergency six packs. Of course, I've wasted energy as I bend down to find the cabinet devoid of alcohol. Sighing, I stand up and disappointedly shuffle back over to my couch.

No Hinata and no alcohol; and more importantly, the damn sink is once again, singing fucking merrily to that all too familiar tune, I've begun to despise over the last two weeks. Drowning out the sounds of the leak, coming from the kitchen, I spread myself out on the couch and silently search for my misplaced cell phone. The television is currently replaying a news feature I've been hearing about all week at the office.

The Hyuga Corp was currently testing a new set of drugs for psych patients. Yeah, yeah, I know all about the grossly expensive investment. I wasn't exactly head of the project or anything but I had managed to obtain a spot on the board of directors overseeing the thing. It was strangely a pretty challenging task, managing my own field-workers and then suddenly getting stuck with an entire new batch of them to prep for action.

It wasn't all that hard but truthfully, I'd rather be doing the janitors job than my own. Even when I goaded myself on with promises of a larger paycheck, my mind reeled at the thought of facing another day at work.

Money was certainly motivation but when I was forced to fork over half of my salary to my father every two weeks, it left me lounging around in my little shit hole apartment, wondering why I bothered working so hard in the first place. Sure, I was family, and blood relation was powerful enough to get me some extra benefits but did I ever receive a bonus check or perhaps an invitation to those damn holiday parties they held throughout the year?

_NOPE. _

I was tolerated because I did my work well but when it came down to it, no one actually wanted me around. Somehow, being caught in my company was offensive to them; and by them, I mean the entire Hyuga family. Except for a few, who like me, were considered outcasts, the entire main family was headed by a set of old bastards, who, when it came to money, could hardly tell the difference between lust and greed.

I could never quite pin point what they preferred, top or bottom?

I mean, sure, at work they were head honchos; not to be messed with. But outside of the company, they were senile perverts, throwing their earnings away on VIP tickets to gentlemen's clubs. How disgusting right?

This didn't exactly bother me, since older men frequented those place like overly religious people do their churches and temples, but what did grind my gears was the fact that afterwards, they'd return home to their ignorant wives and expect them to fall on all fours like servants and then to their children, and expect them to still honor them with that simple kiss on the check before lights out was officially called.

I happened to grow up with a different sort of father, but in many ways, he was the same. The pattern of a lecherous life grew on him until finally, his being had been corrupted by the very people whom he called his friends. It was only lucky for me that my mother was already resting in her grave. If she had been still around, there was a chance I might have murdered my father for changing the way he had.

In between the couch pillows, my phone lit up when I pressed my hand against its key pad. Dislodging it from its spot inside the couch, I pulled it to my face and gazed tiredly at the bright screen.

Zero missed calls….Zero…

_Wait, one new message!_

Instantly my mood peaked and I felt a smile tugging at my lips. If it was her, I'd be able to settle down some tonight. Oh, how I desperately wished over and over that her name would appear as it always did whenever I felt down.

_To: Neji_

_From: Hina_

_Hey. Did you ever get that leak fixed?_

I chuckled after reading her text. No, I hadn't gotten the leak fixed; but if she promised to come over, I'd do just about anything to shut the obnoxious thing up!

* * *

**A/N: **To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

**Midsummer Afterglow:** Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while! It's been pretty hectic at home with signing up for college and whatnot but the good news is that I haven't neglected my writing! I have up to chapter 12 prepared for this story and parts of those chapters are already completed. I realize that these chapters are a lot shorter than most stories but due to the long chapters I write for _For Always_, I can't take on another huge project just yet. Either way though, this story should progress smoothly and still be quiet enjoyable for you guys...At least, I'll do my best to make it as interesting as possible... ^_^

Anyway a quick update for those who do read _For Always_: I am currently almost done with the next chapter! I have three more scenes to type up, two of which I already have dialogue for, so getting those done shouldn't be too hard. I was supposed to have finished the chapter last weekend but I had some family get-togethers to go to and those threw my schedule off quite a bit. As I've mentioned before, the next chapter is pretty long...I believe it's up to 16 pages right now in Word so yeah...wish me luck with getting it done asap!

Thanks to all my new readers and reviewers! Your encouragement keeps me going. ^.^

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO **

* * *

Starting from the very moment he had laid eyes on Hiashi Hyuga, Neji knew he hated him. There wasn't any specific reason, as of yet, why such a deep loathing had begun to grow inside the pit of his stomach, but all in all, Neji detested everything about the man. Hiashi's personality was cold and austere. His judgmental gaze would freeze the blood in any man's veins and most people understood that getting on his bad side would result in critical consequences.

Due to the undeniable fact that Hiashi was Neji's uncle, did not do any help smooth things over between them. In fact, this blood relation only made things worse. Neji was already not on very good terms with Hiashi and if the man even had the slightest suspicion about Hinata and himself, Neji would surely end up half dead in some ditch. Hiashi was a calm man outwardly but inwardly he was suppressing a rage that stormed through his entire being. Whenever Neji happened to be in his presence, he always felt as if a watchful flame was licking at his ankles.

Hinata had never ended up coming over the other day but that had been for the best. Instead, she had opted to meeting up with him at the abandoned park near Neji's apartment. The park wasn't exactly abandoned; it was only dubbed that because no one ever took care of it. The play equipment was rusted and falling apart, the trees were dead almost all the time, except for during the spring when they decided to flower briefly, and the grass was more or less nonexistent, except for the rare blade or two that happened to shoot up from the ground in the oddest of places.

Despite all this though, Neji and Hinata had found that this park was rather special to them. It was there that they could go and sit quietly amongst the rubbish and simply forget that an entire world existed outside the bland confines of the park. Neji sometimes felt that Hinata loved the place even more than he did. He could still remember the first day he had taken her there. Rather than being appalled by the sight of dilapidated slides and monkey bars, Hinata had taken the entire place in like a sponge, she had soaked up the sad excuse of ambiance that surrounded the park.

To be honest, Neji, although not exactly in love with the place himself, seemed to have grown more attached to it after having brought Hinata there. He had never really felt that she was his girl or anything remotely cheesy like that but whenever they went to the abandoned park together, he liked to imagine that they were the only humans left in the world; and somehow if that had been true, it would have suited him just fine.

Neji could tell that recently Hinata was still keeping her distance from him but he was coming to accept it. Perhaps things were changing at home for her. Things were certainly changing at work for him and it was only normal for Hinata to take some time away for herself. Neji had never felt possessive over anything before but now he was beginning to realize that Hinata's warmth, her passion for living, was something he craved with his entire being.

She was this beacon of light that he could always look to, and even if he played it off as if he couldn't have cared less about her, the truth was that he cared more than his mind was allowing him to admit openly.

* * *

When Neji had walked into the lab in the morning, he had known exactly what was expected of him. Today he was scheduled to prep the new recruits managing the lab work. Preparing a new drug for the pharmaceutical market was tough. Not only was the entire process tedious and drawn out, it was an entire pain in the ass to deal with. Meetings with the team directors were held once every week and progress reports were supposed to be filled out in full.

This product certainly meant a lot to the company, but Neji didn't understand why Hiashi was so intent on pushing this particular drug out into the world so quickly. From his own calculations, Neji had summed up that the drug was still a bit faulty. Most of the results, which his team been recording, were less than proficient. More time was needed to test the effects, both negative and positive, of the small capsules the company was calling, _FADE_.

The drug had been created by one of the top Hyuga scientists. Neji didn't know the man personally since there were so many people related to the Hyuga these days, but nonetheless, the entire company had been told that this drug was going to be advertised using the most advanced technological equipment afforded to them.

Neji was unaware of what theme the company was trying to go with this time around but usually when they advertised a new drug, it was eaten up right away by the public because the Hyuga Scientific Corporation, also known as the H.S.C., was so well known and trusted. There really wasn't any reason to go all out for this but perhaps because this new drug was created by one of the family's own, Hiashi, as CEO of the company, felt it his duty to do everything in his power to promote it.

Although Neji believed things to be pretty energy sucking at the moment, they were certainly only going to get harder as the time for the release of the drug drew nearer.

Sighing to himself, Neji picked up the clipboard that he had been examining and flipped the top page upward. Underneath the first page was a second one with an equal amount of data, neatly spread out, from the top of the page to the bottom of it. The small font was terribly difficult to read, but since Neji had been at this for so long, his eyes had become more adjusted to it.

There was a lot to be said, regarding the negative effects the drug possessed. Most of the experimental trials had failed to comprehend whether or not the drug itself caused any fatal problems within the brain, and as far as Neji could assess, the whole purpose for creating the damn capsules in the first place, was still far from being achieved.

The Hyuga Corp excelled in producing drugs to aid depression and other such symptoms that would surface due to lack of sleep or mental stability. FADE, was no different. It was simply a more advanced version of a mental stabilizer. Like its name suggested, the drug was supposed to eliminate the stress caused by overly worked brain cells. By doing this, a person's brain would be able to resume its normal activity. In reality, FADE could become a breakthrough in the medical world if the company put time and effort into perfecting it. But, at the rate the drug was being pushed to produce at least some decent results, the good handle the lab had on it was slowly beginning to shift.

Scanning the data mapped out on the sheet of paper before him, Neji began to think how he might best prep the new lab men for action. Although the rest of the directors continued to screw up experiments, wasting both time and money, he would be the one to set things right. If Hiashi and the elders wanted results soon, they would get them. Neji was determined, for Hinata's sake and his own, to make sure they would.

* * *

**A/N: **To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

**Midsummer Afterglow: **Hey guys! I'm really glad to be updating this story again! I really enjoy writing it. Um next chapter will go back to Hinata's POV and also in upcoming chapters more characters from Naruto will be introduced. ^_^ Please enjoy this update!

Thanks to all my new readers and subscribers! I love you all so very much! Your encouragement keeps me writing!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

The last time he could remember ever having to be personally escorted to a meeting, was when he had first joined the company. At that time, things had been run very differently. Neji was partly annoyed by this instance because he clearly recognized that the higher ups were taking precautions with him on purpose. It was not as if they didn't trust him to fulfill his duties. No, in that respect, they could always rely on him. But when it came to executing business in the order they wished him to do so, that was easier said than done. Neji had always refused to operate in the manner of the other directors.

Neji was his own person and as director of his own team, he could run things the way he chose to. He hadn't needed the advice of the other directors, nor did he need a baby sitter. This entourage of flies escorting him to a meeting, he himself had been perfectly willing to attend, was extremely ridiculous and unnecessary.

He followed, grudgingly, behind the four men in black suits and pretended not to notice the looks others were giving him as his party made their way through the maze of secretarial cubicles. At the far end of the room stood two large doors made of fine cherry wood. The red tint in the door's appearance made it seem out of place in a building where every wall and piece of furnishing was painted in either black or white. Like a sore thumb, Hiashi's office stood out from all the others. Just nearing the place gave Neji the chills.

He had never been afraid of Hiashi or his power, but he had feared one thing, and that was Hiashi's overly attentive nature. Despite how busy he kept himself, the man knew everything. And it was his ability, to gather information on people, which made him a very dangerous man. Not only was he the CEO of the company, but the head of the Hyuga family. He had eyes on each member of the family and not a single hair fell from someone's head without his knowing of it beforehand.

None of the others around him seemed to realize this, or if they had, they refused to acknowledge it. Hiashi was like a god to them. His word was as good as gold and his orders were carried out no matter how unreasonable they seemed. The members of the Hyuga family were wary of Hiashi and as Neji had witnessed time and time again, they had every right to be. Hiashi made all the major decisions for the family and unless the elders were around to speak out against him, anything he decreed was instantly expected to be complied with. There were few who could stand their ground against the man. Just being under his watchful gaze would make most men fear to open their mouths.

Neji on the other hand, was different from most men. He too was wary of Hiashi, but not because he feared for himself, but because he feared for Hinata. If anything ever happened to her because of his lack of good sense, Neji would forever feel guilty. Hiashi was not the type of man to be easily forgiving, nor did a person earn his trust without first undergoing a sort of extensive trial. When one worked for Hiashi, failure was unacceptable.

As the four men in suites came to a stop at the double door entrance, Neji halted as well. He took in the massive office before him and waited patiently as two of the four men made to reveal the way inside. Sighing to himself, he prepared for what lay behind the wooden doors.

* * *

The green tea tasted very bitter compared to usual, and I opted to setting the cup down after having, unfortunately, taken a long sip of it. The group of men sitting straight backed at the round conference table shot uneasy glares in my direction. A muffled sigh escaped my lips as I decided to pay the primped men no mind, but their pale eyes only bore into me further. Watching the small clock that hung on the far wall, I began to tap my foot restlessly. We had been gathered in silence for nineteen minutes and still, Hiashi had not arrived. As the group was waiting, a woman with short black hair had made an appearance to set fresh tea before each of the directors. Many had refused the offering, but I, kind as I tended to be in public, allowed the nervous girl to graciously serve me.

It was strange to see a petite girl, such as the one who had quietly served the tea, working in the company; and from observing the girl's careful movements, I assumed that she was relatively new to her position. Hiashi was famous for letting go of his secretaries. There were rumors that stated that he fired one every two months, but I had always regarded the gossip as false information. Now that I was finally getting a glimpse of Hiashi's taste in women, I had to admit that the man chose his workers for their looks, rather than their personalities. The raven haired girl, no matter how sweet her features were, was certainly uncomfortable in the presence of so many. Just by looking at her, I could practically feel her discomfort emanating off her body.

Focusing once more on the clock, I noted that another two minutes had passed. There was nothing more irritating than having to wait on a person; especially, when that person was the head of the entire company. Assholes like Hiashi took advantage of the fact that he could make people wait on him. I began to wish that someone would take a moment to survey the empty seat at the far end of the table but no one seemed to mind that clear vacancy. Waiting on god was far too normal around the place. I loathed the accepting, submissive nature of the men around me. In the secret of their own homes they bashed the Hyuga's and yet here they were, quietly minding their own business, too afraid to voice the impatience which was building up inside of each person sitting at the table.

The secretary was setting a cup of tea onto the empty table top, where Hiashi was soon to be seated, and I silently counted the passing seconds in my head, wondering whether or not it was a good idea for her to assume that her boss would take any of the odd tasting liquid. I figured it might have been thoughtful for one of the directors to let her know that she should wait for Hiashi to arrive before leaving a beverage that not only had a sour taste but would surely become cold, depending on how long it took him to make his way here. Sadly the gathered men stared indifferently at the short girl and not a single one was kind enough to offer her this bit of advice. I too kept silent so I was just as guilty as the rest; but keeping my mouth shut was more of a precautionary tactic than a way to avoid helping out the poor girl. If I had even dared to say a word to Hiashi's secretary, I'd be reprimanded by at least one of the cold hearted pricks, who still sat uncomfortably around the large conference table.

Just as I was beginning to think up a new set of insults to mentally pin on each individual director, the door to the room swung inward loudly. I brought my head up quickly and turned in the direction of the obnoxious noise. It was just like Hinata's father to make an annoying entrance. Walking in proudly was the great god himself, Hiashi Hyuga, with the fakest smile I'd ever seen him wear.

"I apologize for running late gentlemen. I had a bit of business to attend to," Hiashi relayed lightly.

"What kind of business keeps you away from a meeting that's been planned for nine on the dot?" One of the more confident men at the table asked suddenly, startling me.

I suppose there are some men with guts working for Hiashi. This outburst made me a bit more confident myself and I decided to side with the daring man.

"The kind with long legs and a pretty face perhaps?" I teased amusedly. The directors began to chuckle and I smirked at my own boldness.

Hiashi though, did not find my joke even the tiniest bit amusing and he immediately shot me a glare from across the room. I simply cocked my head as if to let him know that I was only lightening the mood when in fact I was blatantly insulting him.

"That kind of business, though far different from my own, is most attended to by easily distracted men like you Neji; isn't that right?" Hiashi threw back seriously. At this, the entire room went silent. Each of the directors, including myself, recognized the tone in Hiashi's voice and quickly had taken the hint to quite our foolish banter.

I on the other hand did not want to let this one go. Hiashi and I were always at odds and I usually would let him take the win but, probably because I was still angered over having to be escorted by body guards to a work related meeting, today I was not going to pass up a chance to challenge the man.

"What I do on my own time is no one's business but what you do on our time certainly raises some questions Hiashi," I retorted angrily.

Hiashi simply stared at me, while the entire room remained silent as a graveyard, his pale eyes burning holes into my face. The man was seething inside but due to having his most trusted partners in the same room, he was refraining from biting my head off.

I took this as a positive sign to continue my accusations. "Since when did it become necessary to send a military fashioned escort to get me to attend this little gathering? I'm one of your chief directors am I not? If you call a meeting having to do with our work on the new product, you can be assured I will show up."

The heavy silence, which filled the room after I had voiced my complaint, was broken when Hiashi finally spoke.

"Point taken Neji," Hiashi stated, quite defeated by my words.

The emotionless look on his face gave nothing away but somehow the tone in his voice suggested that he almost felt embarrassed that I had brought up this sort of petty issue at all. Well, it wasn't my problem if he happened to look like a fool in front of the directors. They all knew that Hiashi distrusted me but still they never thought he would feel threatened enough to have his own personal militia escort me to and from company meetings.

Hearing him admit that he was wrong, wasn't exactly enough to satisfy my thirst for justice but I decided I had said enough. Hiashi took a seat at the table and the directors each sat up and prepared their notes. Even without saying so, we all knew that the meeting had now come to order. Having already prepared my notes before coming, I sat back and observed. Much to my dislike, the first thing Hiashi did was make a quick call to his secretary.

The moment the dark haired girl walked up to the table again, her burgundy heels clacking against the tiled floor, I knew what was coming. Hiashi, not bothering to waste a single breath on her, simply pointed to the porcelain cup and waved his hand, irritated by his employee's lack of sense. The girl nodded and quickly took hold of the item. Bowing respectfully, she gingerly shuffled out of the room with a look of trepidation on her face.

I wasn't surprised by this occurrence, but hell, it sure did piss me off. Even in this way, Hiashi still needed to show that his authority was absolute.

* * *

Neji pursed his lips as he unceremoniously dumped two plastic bags, filled with groceries, on top of the kitchen counter. After coming home exhausted from working on an empty stomach, Neji had been looking forward to eating just about anything. Little did he know that he had come home to a fridge that looked about as empty as his stomach felt. Groaning in frustration, he had forced himself to make a midnight trip to the liquor store near his apartment complex.

Now that he had acquired some cheap snacks and a new six pack, Neji immediately pulled out a can of Bud Light, eager to fill his mouth with the alcoholic liquid. Taking with him, the one bag which held the snacks he had gotten, he sauntered over to the living room and all too happily sunk himself into the couch cushions. His phone hadn't rung at all during the day and as much as it bothered him to admit it, he was very disappointed. Hinata was the type to message or call at least several times a week and yet, he hadn't heard from her in over two!

Kicking his shoes off, Neji pried open a bag of chips and began stuffing his face. Damn he was hungry. How the hell he had a gone the whole day without a bite to eat, was still much of a mystery to him. He was always busy at the lab but even when the work load was heavy, he still managed to get one of the interns to bring him some food when they went on break to get their own. Neji wasn't a slave driver compared to the other directors but he was strict with his team, and more so now than before, due to the fact that time was limited. From what he understood, Hiashi had gathered another group of test subjects. Each team was to evaluate a single subject over the next four weeks and gather as much data as possible. Neji's team had not yet been assigned a subject; but in the mean time, he had taken to writing up a schedule that would perfectly fit the single month that they had ahead of them.

Certain tests were required to be performed on all test subjects but Neji had also instated a few of his own that would determine more accurate results than the mandatory ones would. On top of forming a set of new lab instructions to follow, Neji had also prepped his team for their upcoming assignment. So far, each team was made up of an assortment of lab men who had undergone different levels of scientific training before applying to work at the H.S.C. Neji's team, though not as large as the other's consisted of diligent and determined men and women. The one lab tech he most respected was a man by the name of Shikamaru. The guy was a bit of a lazy ass but he sure as hell had a mind that even Neji couldn't rival. The one lab tech he despised more than anything was some young kid, who had introduced himself as Lee, with the most annoying emphasis on the final "E" at the end of his first name. Neji wished for nothing more than to punch the ugly looking kid through the roof, but he had to give credit where it was due and Lee, despite pushing just about all Neji's buttons, was a hard worker. Then there was Temari. She was, out of all three lab techs, the most infuriating! She disagreed with Neji on just about everything and despite knowing full well that he was the team's director, she never failed to talk back and add in her two cents when no one had asked for them.

Just thinking about the women pissed him off, and Neji, as a way to drown out his annoyances, gulped down another swig of beer. The refreshing liquid settled his mind and Neji briefly wondered why people bothered to take pills at all when alcohol worked far better than any prescribed meds. Fumbling for the television control, Neji grabbed hold of the slender black device and switched the T.V. on. A news program came into view and Neji tiredly gazed on as if he was actually interested in what the newscaster was reporting inside the station. It was then that a second news anchor came into view. The setting altered to a reporter who stood outside a large campus, which Neji only slightly recognized as Konoha University, and was preparing to interview a rather cold looking woman. The woman was of average height and had blonde hair that was tied into two pig tails that hung loosely over her shoulders. Neji would normally not have stared so intently at her but his eyes bulged when her breasts came into view. They certainly weren't normal sized. Most women he had been around hardly even had breasts to begin with and yet this straight backed woman was packing in jugs that must have weighed more than the rest of her body!

It was a bit pathetic to be ogling an older woman but Neji had been taken quite by surprise. If the women who lived around the university were all blessed like the one on screen was, with enormous boobs, Neji might have done better to have gone to work over in the same area. Pressing down on one of the changer's buttons, Neji turned the volume up louder. The big breasted woman, whoever she was, stood gazing at the camera while the reporter reiterated some story about Konoha University having been funded by several corporations in the past. The blonde haired lady nodded her head in assent occasionally and when the reporter quite speaking, the older woman placed a dainty hand upon one of her hips and waited a moment before answering the reporter's questions.

"The university is very grateful to the yearly funding of public corporations but we have come to a point in time in which the school requires more secure financial aid," The woman began seriously.

"The university has been growing ever since it was first opened and with the turn-out of applicants during the last spring semester, the board of directors is certain that this upcoming fall semester will see an even larger increase in students. Keeping this in mind, as chief of school operations, I took it upon myself to look into private companies willing to fund educational facilities. It is with a grateful and humble heart that Konoha University thanks the H.S.C. for donating over five hundred thousand to our fall programs this year."

Neji spit his beer out the moment the woman finished speaking. Fizzy liquid stained his shirt and jeans. He could hardly believe his ears! The Hyuga's had donated money to Konoha University? Neji was appalled. Why the hell had Hiashi gone and done that? What relationship did the man have with the university and when the fuck was Hinata ever planning on telling him that her father had up and lent over five hundred thousand to the board of education?

No wonder things had been hectic at work lately. Hiashi was making side business deals without letting any of his employers know of it beforehand!

_Over five hundred thousand did she say?_

Neji was about ready to jump off a self created balcony. Hinata wasn't answering any of his calls or texts. She had been avoiding him more than ever before and even Hiashi himself had seemed preoccupied at the morning meeting. It was all because of this! Neji wasn't stupid. There would only be one reason the greedy bastard would give up his own money to some damned school and it certainly was not because he was a charitable person. No; Neji knew that better than anyone. If Hiashi was donating money to Konoha University, the leading college in education, it was because he was planning on sending his daughter there.

* * *

**A/N: **To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

__**Midsummer Afterglow: **Hey guys! I know I am so late in updating but I have been pretty busy with some stuff this summer so I hope you all forgive me but here is the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it! This chapter marks the end of Hinata's POV for the first part of the story...Next chapter will be from Neji's POV and it will mark the end of the first part of the story and then we will move on to part two! ^_^

I hope this is not too confusing for you guys... . The chapters will now also be dated for reference purposes related to the time frame of the story.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

_Wednesday, August 25th_

_12:42 PM_

_Airport Terminal _

Life had a funny way of working things out. For some unexplainable reason, Hinata, after she had forcibly pushed all thoughts, of Neji, to the back of her mind, had completely forgotten exactly how that last night with him had ended. In fact, the more time she spent contemplating each of the events leading up to that night, the less she was able to connect any of them together.

There was always some black hole which would appear and throw her off the trail of her intended target. Unable to move past that nothingness, Hinata purposely shied away from the void and simply blocked its existence from her mind. If there was something her mind would not allow her to conjure up, then she had best leave all and well alone.

Surrounded by her personal luggage and a storm of people passing through the airport terminal, Hinata felt entirely determined to set her mind on what tomorrow might bring with it. She had once begged her father to send her away, in order to pursue her studies, but now that the time had finally come, there was something not quite right about her father's sudden decision to allow her so much freedom. She had never before been allowed out of his sight and unexpectedly, the man was all too willing to ship her off like some overdue package.

Hinata was baffled over the thought of her father sending her away for some secretive, some specific reason; but after analyzing her entire situation, several times, more clearly, she could come to only this conclusion: her father had somehow discovered her relationship with Neji.

The question was, how? No…when?

They had been so careful. Hinata had insisted on this and Neji had complied. So then, what had given them away? Who had given them away?

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz._

In her jean pocket, Hinata felt her cell phone vibrating against her thigh. Calmly, she removed the phone from its place and looked down into the brightly lit screen. A new text message awaited her attention. Anxiously, Hinata opened the text.

_From: Neji_

_To: Hinata_

_Haven't heard from you in a while…_

_Where are you? Is everything okay?_

Gazing down at the text, Hinata felt her heart stop as a cold chill crept its way up her spine. Her fingers drummed nervously against the sides of her phone and a trickle of sweat skirted down the back of her neck. Most of the noise from the people around her had shrunken into an eerie silence and she was not sure what was going on but something felt entirely out of place.

How she had suddenly recognized this flash of phenomena was strange but it was not just her body that had felt discomfort, but her mind as well. Gazing back down at the words on the screen, Hinata slowed her breathing instinctively. The letters appeared blurry and out of focus. The longer she stared, the more Neji's name seemed to be dripping down the middle of the message. It was then that a sharp pain in her head caused Hinata to squeeze her eyelids shut.

What the hell was going on with her? She'd never felt such an intense throbbing in her head before.

Afraid of losing it completely, Hinata forced her eyes open and she glanced from side to side and then behind her. It was a fruitless action, for there were far too many people to sift through in order to settle her eyes to focus on just one. If something was indeed wrong with her, she did not want anyone in the terminal to become aware of it.

Dropping her phone into her lap, Hinata recalled the message she had just received from Neji. He was worried about her, and now that she had found herself in this queer situation, he certainly had every right to be.

The pain in her head began to increase and Hinata quickly dug through her purse for the bottle of pain killers she kept on hand. Like many, Hinata would suffer headaches, but unlike many, hers were quite more severe when they hit her unexpectedly. None had ever been this bad before though.

As her heart beat faster, Hinata felt her hand wrap around the bottle of blessed pills and instantly she grabbed it and popped it open. Pouring two onto her palm she picked one up, placed it in her mouth, and swallowed it dry. The moment she felt the small gel pill slid down her throat, her mind felt at ease. The pounding in her head continued but since she knew the meds would take control any minute now, Hinata did not feel as panicked.

Once more Hinata grabbed hold of her cell phone and gazed at the message on the screen. The letters were all back in place and she was able to read the words clearly. Her doctor had spoken before of the way that severe headaches usually were signs which singled out poor vision but Hinata had never heeded those kinds of warnings. All her life she had maintained 20/20 vision; so why now had she struggled to read a simple text?

Pressing down on the phones main power button, Hinata watched intently as the small machine shut down on its own. When the screen went completely black, she stuffed the phone inside her purse and decided she would message Neji once she was safely on the plane. If she replied now, her resolve to leave would shatter and after having regained some of her previous composure, that was one less thing she wanted to worry about.

Just as she was preparing to get comfortable in her seat, an announcement pertaining to her flight sounded over the terminal intercom. Happy to get on with her journey, Hinata stood, picked up her bags, and marched away from the row of vacated seats. She had never felt quite ready to be departing home so soon but now that it had come to it, she knew she was prepared. After all, besides for Neji, there was nothing for her back at the Hyuga corp. She wanted to persuade herself that studying abroad would be a good bend in her road; perhaps even something to look forward to and because she had no other choice, Hinata kept this thought at the forefront of her mind as she contentedly left her childhood home behind her.

* * *

**A/N: **To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

**Midsummer Afterglow: **I finally got around to update this story! ^^ I'ts super late but it feels good to write again after so long. Please leave a review if you can guys; I would greatly appreciate it. _  
_

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. **

* * *

_Friday, August 27__th_

_8:42 PM _

_H.S.C. Building_

Hinata was on his mind again. Stuck at work for the night, Neji had brewed a new batch of coffee and had just poured himself a fresh mug.

Hinata wouldn't take any of his phone calls and her absence was starting to irritate him. Neji was still itching to ask her about the boarding school. If she was really headed there, then perhaps it meant that she was taking this time to prepare for the move.

Truth was that, Neji never really believed Hinata would go; at least not now. Sure, a new semester was about to start - not that he had ever bothered to enroll in college after graduating high school - but Hiashi had kept such a tight leash on Hinata that the thought of her father allowing her to be at all independent was simply laughable. On the off chance she really was leaving, well then, he might just get it in his head to go after her.

Earning a degree was almost pointless at this point though; so even if he wanted to, he would be unable to follow her to the same university. Neji was a pretty intelligent guy but he was not cut out for classrooms and lectures. Hinata was just fine with it because she had grown up disciplined all her life.

Neji, on the other hand, was much like a delinquent. Not that he went around getting into trouble or anything remotely standard like that. Rather, his whole existence was troubling to everyone around him and this set him adrift from his family, from his friends, from anyone that tried to get close to him. It was not until Hinata stepped into his life that things had changed for him.

She was the reason Neji had a head position in Hiashi's company. Even his own father had failed to help him out in this way. With his mother dead, Neji had learned to rely solely on himself, but Hinata made him see that sometimes it was okay to rely on others. She had a way of setting such a simple example for him.

She never begged him to be like her. All she ever asked was that he prove to her that the Hyuga family had been wrong about him. Somehow, spending time in her company had lightened Neji's burden of forever being alone.

Setting down the last of his data for the night, Neji prepared to wrap things up. Loosening the tie around his neck, he sighed wearily and promptly saved the word document he had been working on for the last hour. The most recent data he had gathered had shown some decent improvements with their new drug.

Neji was almost positive now that with a few more test runs, his team would be able to determine the pros and cons of FADE and then present a full report to Hiashi and the board. In the meantime, as there was no rush for deciphering Hinata's uncharacteristic silence, Neji felt that he ought to look into the boarding school himself. In fact, he was a bit surprised he hadn't thought to do this already.

As he was presently in front of his computer, he typed _Konoha University_ into the company search engine and found the school's official website. From the pictures provided on the home page, he could instantly tell that this school was unlike any he was used to. The place was a looker and most likely accepted only the best of the best.

There was no way in hell a school so uptight would be able to afford him. Hinata though, she would fit in just fine.

There were a couple links pertaining to alumni and then others which were far from what he was looking for and finally, one in particular that caught his undivided attention.

_University Sponsors. _

Neji scrolled over the link and clicked it. Immediately he was directed to a new page. And there it faced him plain as day, the reason why that news report from the other night had seemed so out of place.

Under the school's list of current sponsors, H.S.C. was nowhere to be found. Hiashi never intended for his business deal with the university to be made public. It was simply coincidence and perhaps luck that Neji had turned the television on at that moment.

Hinata wasn't simply leaving for her own benefit. No. If that had been true, she would have first discussed it with him. The reality was that she was being sent away by none other than her dearest father. The damned bastard!

Neji should have known better than to have waited on Hinata to come to him. He needed to go to her, and now!

If she was being forced to leave, then there was not a second to waist. Jumping up from his seat, Neji removed his lab coat, grabbed his car keys off the desk, and stormed out of the building.

* * *

Neji felt his body tense up when he came to realize that she was gone. Not a single trace of her remained in his apartment. Now that the leak had been fixed – yes, he had gotten around to it at last – there was no way for him to recall her presence. All the sheets on his bed had gone through the washer and dryer the night after she had made love to him; and without him even realizing it, she had taken her tooth brush, leaving his to stand alone inside the white rimmed cup on the counter.

Even when he had left to work in the morning, he had taken little notice of these warning signs. Now that it came down to it, he felt the hole of regret widening beneath his feet.

It had to be a sick joke! That's right, this wasn't happening. None of this was real. The ache causing his words to catch in his throat was all but a twisted nightmare he would soon wake up from.

Neji felt the earth spinning around him and though he felt like retching, he straightened his back and forced his feet to slide across the ground one step at a time.

He had gone to Hiashi's home only to find out that Hinata was not there. Then, he had driven to his own apartment, hoping desperately that she would be sitting by the front door, waiting for him to come home. But, when he'd reached that last flight of wooden stairs, he knew that his leaving the office, to look for her, had been useless. Chasing her after all the time he had let pass was entirely ridiculous.

Had he paid attention to what was happening earlier, he might have had a chance at stopping her, or at the very least stopping Hiashi.

The unfortunate truth remained though, that Hinata was already gone. She had left and had not bothered to say goodbye. Those times he had called over and over again, thinking maybe she was too busy to answer, he had been purposely ignored.

For some reason, Hinata was attempting to cut him out of her life and Neji had no idea why or what might be fueling her actions. Hiashi was surely to blame for Hinata leaving, but Neji knew her well enough to know that no matter what, she would have found a way to contact him if necessary.

So then why was she avoiding him? Why had she caused him to worry like this?

Neji felt salty tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

"Please," he begged as he trudged over to his apartment door. "Let it not be so."

Balling both his hands into fists he fell to the ground, his knees shattering with pain from the sudden impact. And then he beat his fists against his door as he uttered his final plea, "Let it not…be so."

* * *

**A/N:** _To be continued..._


	12. Chapter 12

**Midsummer Afterglow: **Hey guys! I'm back again with the next chapter. Remember that this installation marks the second part or second act of the story. ^^ Do enjoy and please review!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

_Tuesday, September 27__th_

_10:30 AM_

_Konoha _

Two weeks had gone by in the blink of an eye. Entering such a prestigious boarding school had been quite a new experience for Hinata. She had expected the attendees to be advanced in a variety of subjects and perhaps even find some who could speak more than one language; but to her amazement and disappointment, nothing like that existed at Konoha University. Sure the students were forced to wear the standard white on black uniform but other than that, and the exceptional campus rule or two, life for dorm students was pretty laid back.

Hinata had been surprised by how many people actually enrolled into this particular college every semester. There had been so many applicants at one point, she had been told, that the head masters had to resort to scheduling retests for every potential applicant. It was hard to fathom exactly why so many people felt the need to go to such a ridiculously over priced college, when there were so many other that provided an equally renowned curriculum, at a far cheaper and reasonable tuition fee.

Another thing which she had decided was a bit strange, about the university, was that the teachers seemed to have a lot of one on one interaction with the students. In fact, this practice was so popular that most of the students took to calling their professors, male or female, by their first names. Hinata was astounded by the lack of disrespect being allowed, and realized, regretfully, that she might have to drop the formalities she was used to in order to get along better with her professors.

It was safe to say that Hinata had grown up in a very well disciplined household. Manners and morals had been beaten into her so well that coming upon such an insane and out of her orbit kind of world had been at first a bit of a shock. But, as time is so very good at doing, Hinata had been able to settle in decently without too much trouble. In fact, she had even managed to garner a couple of interesting acquaintances during her time spent around campus. Every student varied in personality and appearance. It was no surprise to her that even after being introduced to people more than once, it was incredibly easy for her to fail at recognizing their faces again later.

In a place such as Konoha University, the dorms were always the place to be. Every weekend, when students were not piled with excessive amounts of school work, a certain club or group would come together and throw some pretty lavishing parties. Due to the prestige of the university, the caliber of parties was so very different from parties thrown at regular public universities. Because all the student's families were loaded with money, get-togethers were more of a way of life rather than the rare or occasional kick back that most college students looked forward to attending.

Truthfully though, ever since she came, Hinata had only been to about two of these routine getaway parties. What she really preferred to do was take her free time to explore more of the city and the university itself. It may have seemed a bit over the top in retrospect but Konoha University was enormous and many of the city's top officials, back when the proposal to build a new secluded college had been submitted to the city council chairman, had funded its building.

With such a lengthy list of places to venture to and explore, Hinata hardly found time to frequent any of the dorm parties. In fact, there was this one particular place she had been extremely hyped up to visit ever since she had arrived: the Konoha city coffee shop. It was apparently a very popular place for students to go during their breaks between classes. Like most every other business in Konoha, the coffee shop was overly spacious when it came to size. But, perhaps this was to ensure that no matter how much the population increased, it would always be able to accommodate large groups of customers, in a comfortable manner. Although Hinata was more familiar with the smaller coffee shops back home, this one was so intricately designed on just the outside that, she could barely hold back her excitement, when she pushed open the double doors to walk into the elegant and classy café.

The aroma of coffee beans and freshly baked deserts wafted through the air. Hinata shamelessly closed her eyes and smiled as the different scents, coming from the shop, clouded her sense of smell. Just as she was beginning to imagine herself seated at a white table, inside the confines of a luscious garden, with pink tulips, white carnations, and marigolds growing in tiny patches around her, she was brought back from her personal wonderland by a loud crash and the pain of scalding hot liquid burning the soft skin of her arm.

Shocked and not entirely sure what had just happened, Hinata's eyes shot down to peer at her flesh. A splotch of dark liquid was dripping onto the floor and her entire arm stung from the heat of the freshly brewed coffee which was now staining it.

"Damnit!"

"Son of a Bicth!"

"Why the fuck does this always happen to me?"

Surprised by the sudden string of curses being hailed up into the air, Hinata's gaze shifted from her arm to the floor. Sprawled on his hands and knees, was a young boy with the brightest colored patch of blonde hair Hinata had ever seen on anyone before. He was bent over a mess of spilt coffee, crumbled banana bread, and a stack of, now soaked, napkins. Where the tray was, Hinata did not know.

"You stubborn idiot!" "There you go again, ruining a perfectly made order just because you're too damn lazy to set things down on a damn tray!"

Hinata jumped at the voice of a pink haired girl, who had suddenly come out from behind her. Still glued to the spot, Hinata just watched as the strawberry haired girl strode over to the blonde boy and smacked the side of his head with a roll of clean paper towels.

"Oi! What was that for?" The blonde boy whined as he brought one hand to his head and began to message the spot the pink haired girl had whacked away at mercilessly.

"That was for screwing up again; and I swear that if I find myself cleaning up one more mess of yours, I am going to kick your ass from here to China!"

The blonde boy looked up at the girl then and cocked his head. "Even if you tried, you wouldn't have the faintest idea what direction to kick me in Sakura-Chan. You know how infamous your aiming is for being off about ninety percent of the time."

At this, the pink haired girl scoffed and before walking away, dropped the roll of paper towels onto the floor and into the puddle of spilt coffee. "I was trying to stress my point dimwit."

Hinata no longer felt the sting in her arm but instead, she was struggling very hard to suppress a fit of laughter that was bursting to spill out from her.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" The blonde boy gazed in horror at the paper towels which had unrolled right into the coffee and then instinctively scrambled to save the remnant which had yet to become soaked through.

It was then that the first giggle escaped her lips and without much warning, Hinata began to laugh hysterically. She couldn't even remember the last time she had laughed so freely. Back home, every day was so mundane, besides for those few moments when she was able to escape from her father's clutches, and the atmosphere was strictly serious. Having this chance to release all her pent up emotions was one she had been unable to pass up; and to be quite honest, the sound of her own laughter, though it had gone unheard for ages, was simply glorious to her ears.

As Hinata began to calm down, and stifle the rest of her giggles, she looked down to see the blonde boy staring up at her with another terrified expression painted on his face. Right when he was about to form some words with his mouth, the dry towels he had rescued slipped from his fingers and sunk into the puddle around him. At this, the blonde boy hurled curses in the direction of his soiled paper towels, and Hinata's laughter poured out once more; and although she was unaware of it, the pink haired girl had returned to the scene as well. Before long the sound of more laughter filled the room and Hinata could have sworn that she felt a pair of stranger's eyes watching her; but due to her carefree happiness, this disturbing fact wasted no time in slipping from her mind entirely.

* * *

**A/N: **_To be continued..._


	13. Chapter 13

**Midsummer Afterglow: **Hey guys! Back again with the next chapter. I want to apologize for this update because I don't really find it to be as smooth as the others have been since I did write it up in a bit of a rush. I really want to move this story along and since I am working on the next two chapters, I wanted to post this one asap.

Anyway, I received a review from someone that had questions about certain aspects of the story, including the drug FADE that is mentioned every now and then. Unfortunately, I won't be able to answer questions like that here on the story page since I prefer to respond to readers questions in a more personal manner. Therefore, if any of you are interested in asking me something about the story, please make an FF account so I will be able to reply; otherwise I just can't guys, sorry.

The last note I want to address here is whether or not you guys would like to see any of the other Naruto characters have view points in the story. I was thinking I might want to do that, but since I did say the story would be strictly from Hina/Neji's POV, I was wondering if anyone would be against it or for it. Please let me know! ^^

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

* * *

_Monday, October 2nd _

_2:30 PM_

_Konoha University Assembly Hall_

Straining her head to see above the groups of taller girls in front of her, Hinata huffed angrily. This was what happened every single time the college coordinators would round up students for an assembly. Hinata always and unluckily found herself stuck behind girls that were easily towering over her shorter form. Hinata had no idea how girls could grow so quickly; in fact, this particular group appeared as if they had shot straight up like trees.

Falling back flat on her heels, Hinata struggled to push her way through the crowd and closer to the front. As long as she was able to make her way a bit closer to the stage, then she would most likely be able to see better than she could before. Biting back a curse that was building up inside her throat, Hinata strut forward without looking to see if she had bumped any of the girls surrounding her.

Finally, in a position which allowed her to get a better view of the stage, Hinata settled into the body of students and stood quietly, satisfied with the turn out. She had received a rather late warning that this assembly was going to take place, and though she was the only one who had been adamant on showing up, she knew that either Naruto or Sakura would make an appearance just to make sure Hinata didn't accidently get into any trouble while they were not around.

Her two new friends were much like peas in pod. They both had such lively spirits and though it had taken some getting used to, Hinata had come to appreciate their lack of inscrutability. It made them all the more easier for her to puzzle out and get along with. Of course, there was the issue of that one creep of a guy Sakura had her hands full with; but if she excluded him, then Hinata had to admit that she was beginning to find that stepping outside of her comfort zone was not as terrifying as she had been led to believe.

As the mass of students chatted impatiently, Hinata took the liberty of looking up at the stage, to see if anything had happened yet. To her immediate shock, an unprecedented incident seemed to be taking place. The energetic bickering, of the students, began to die down as more people started to realize what was going on. Hinata, in turn, froze as she gasped up at the blonde boy, who was standing at the front of the stage, wearing only a pair of orange striped boxer shorts and a black bandana around his head.

Naruto, feet apart and hands over his eyes, was looking right in her direction. Hinata could only guess who it was he was searching for; and because she was afraid to be noticed, she quickly lowered her head and sighed.

"Sasuke-Teme!" Naruto cried, loud and clear. "Where the hell are you?!"

His high pitched voice bounced off of the walls, of the large assembly hall, and echoed from one end of the building, to the other.

Hinata could hardly believe what she was witnessing! More accurately, she could not bring herself to fathom why Naruto was making a spectacle of himself in front of so many people; and more importantly, just who was this Sasuke person that her friend was hollering for?

Taking a second, cautious glance, around the assembly hall, Hinata spied a group of strange guys standing off to the side of the stage, pretending to mind their own business, while at the same time snickering amongst themselves.

One the guys stood out like a sore thumb, from her point of view, since he seemed to be purposely gazing up at a clueless Naruto. The others, though equally engaged in the other man's business, were managing to blend into the crowd with ease.

It did not take her long to figure out that the guys were the most likely reason behind Naruto's unexpected outburst; but due to the reckless boy's lack of perceptiveness, he failed to take notice of them, although Hinata had.

"SA-SU-KE," Naruto hummed out angrily, raising his voice, and balling both hands into fists.

As if on cue, one of the faculty members appeared from out of nowhere and immediately went to Naruto's side; grabbing the boy by his loose bandana. Hinata did not recognize the white haired man, who was restraining her friend, but she was certain she had seen his face somewhere before; or more precisely half of his face, considering that he wore a mask over his nose and mouth.

Ignoring the rising interest the students were taking in the little performance, being acted out on the stage, Hinata Tore her eyes away from the scene, in order to look back at the guys she had seen earlier. Whereas before they had been observing the atmosphere, just as she was, now they were slowly retreating from view. Hinata did not understand why, but, for some reason, a raw ache settled in her stomach, when she suddenly locked eyes on the tallest of the guys present.

He had long dark hair, milky skin, and a wickedly attractive smirk, playing on his face. From where she stood, staring, Hinata sensed that the man appeared out of place with the others; but none of his companions seemed to care. Overall, he was a stunning sight to behold, and she could not bear to avert her obvious gaze. As distasteful as it was to ogle someone, Hinata felt no shame in this case. If he had traded appearances with any of the other guys, she might not have been affected by his natural charm; but the reality was that Hinata not only adored the face of this man, she was well acquainted with every part of him, and that was to say, intimately so.

She was positive that she was not dreaming; but who was to say that she was not just imagining things to be what they were?

_No_, Hinata felt very certain that what she was seeing, before her, was as real as _real_ could get. The man standing inside that group of misfits was not just anyone; he was most definitely a Hyuga. And even if her eyes might have warped his physical appearance by a little, there was one attribute she could never mistake: his eyes. Like her, the man had pale eyes; a characteristic pertaining strictly to the Hyuga family; and even more striking was the fact that the man perfectly resembled…

"Hey Hinata!"

Brought back from her daydream, Hinata looked over her shoulder to see that Sakura had just come up beside her. The lovely waitress was still in her work clothes and held a fresh cup of coffee inside one well manicured hand.

"Uh, Sakura, did you just get here?" Hinata asked nervously, happy to be saved from being alone in the pot of the unruly student body.

Suddenly realizing how ridiculous her question was, Hinata sighed and just stayed quiet, waiting for her friend to answer. It was pretty obvious that Sakura had not been around earlier. If she had, Naruto would not have gotten a chance to make such an obnoxious scene.

"Of course I did," Skura chimed sweetly. "So what's going on up there; is that…"

Sakura stopped midsentence, as she turned her head to face the stage. Hinata took a peak in the same direction, only to see that Naruto was currently struggling to break free from the white haired man's grip.

"So here's where that idiot ran off to," Sakura commented dryly, with an annoyed look on her face.

Not surprised to find that Naruto was in the middle of being treated the way any lunatic might, Sakura brought her coffee to her lips and took a delicate sip of the steaming beverage.

"Ah, I suppose so," Hinata replied, confused as to what the girl meant. Perhaps, Sakura had been with Naruto before and then ended up coming to the assembly to look for her, after she had lost track of the mindless boy.

Hinata felt a bit sorry that Sakura had walked in on such an out of control situation; but at the very least, it had not progressed into something worse, than it already was, due to faculty interference. In her heart, Hinata wondered if she had been wise to befriend Naruto when she had. After all, they had met only after he had managed to spill scalding coffee all over her arm and a perfectly clean floor. It was needless to say that Naruto attracted all sorts of trouble, especially when Sakura was not around to monitor his behavior.

In any event, it was good to see that any further commotion had been avoided on the present matter. The only remaining problem was the one Hinata was having with herself. Although he was already gone, she had not forgotten about the man she had seen with the group of culprits behind the _Naruto fiasco_. If her instincts were correct, then she had a pretty good idea of how she might be able to come across him again. As long as she stuck by Naruto and Sakura's sides, she was eventually bound to get another look at that odd man who, either by chance or, perhaps fate, looked every bit like her cousin, Neji.

* * *

**A/N: **_To be continued..._


End file.
